Held in Captivity

Chapter Three: Take Me Home

Time was running out. Five hours to be exact. Splinter had five hours to make a decision before Shredder did. Leo never wanted to yell at his father more in his entire life.

"Sensei, why can't you just tell me?" Leo begged. The wise rat grunted. His eyes turned to slits when he looked at his eldest son.

"I do not have to tell you! This is my decision and mine alone!" Splinter boomed.

Leo sighed heavily and walked away.

Why won't he tell me?

The turtle sighed, moaned, groaned and grunted, the same way his hot headed brother would at least one hundred times a minute everyday. Ever since the most quarrelsome turtle had been kidnapped, the Lair had been unusually quiet. The only sound was Crognard the Barbarian coming from the TV but that was a rare sound too. Mikey hid in Raph's room the majority of the time. He would bang on the symbol of his drum every once in a while just to fill the never ending torture of the silence. Not a single sound had exited the lab. Donnie had been hiding in there since Raph was taken. He hadn't left to get food or water, or sleep in his own bed.

Donnie. I haven't checked on Donnie.

Leo walked into the lab to see his brothers brownish red eyes staring at whatever was on his computer screen.

"Donnie?" Leo whispered.

"Yea." Donnie responded, his eyes still focused on the screen.

"How are you?" Leo asked.

"Fine." Donatello replied coldly.

"No you're not. No one is." Leo responded, sitting down across from his smartest brother.

The room stayed quiet for a minute.

"Donnie, please." Leo pleaded.

"What do you want me to say, Leo? That I'm worried? Cause I think it's pretty obvious." Donnie snapped, slamming the top of his laptop closed.

"No I mean........"

"You don't know what you mean! No one does! We have no idea what's happening to Raph or if he's even still.......And Sensei, he won't tell us what he's deciding or thinking so what am I supposed to do!? Sit around and cry or punch something like Raph would!? That's not gonna help anyone!" Donnie vented. When the smartest turtle had finally caught his breath, he saw the way his older brother looked at him. Leo was disappointed, exhausted, hurt and broken. Donatello exhaled deeply.

"Have you slept? Like at all?" Donnie asked.

"No." Leo whispered.

"Why don't you go get some sleep? Send Mikey in here, he can hang out with me." Donnie offered.

"He won't leave Raph's room, I've already tried to get him out to eat something." Leo yawned, rubbing his face.

"Still, you need sleep." Donnie replied.

"But Sensei's going to need us when he leaves to go get either Raph or Karai." Leo snapped.

"You will not be going, my sons." Splinter piped in from the doorway of the lab.

"What!?" Leo hissed.

"I will go by myself. If whom ever I choose is in a fragile state, seeing so many people may be too overwhelming for him." Splinter explained.

"Him?" Donnie asked.

"You're choosing Raph!?" Leo shrieked.

"You're choosing Raph?" Mikey whispered from behind his father.